


That One Summer

by tuna_pasta_bake



Category: Nothing Much to Do
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-24
Updated: 2015-05-24
Packaged: 2018-04-01 01:00:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3999928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tuna_pasta_bake/pseuds/tuna_pasta_bake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>14 year old Bea & Ben ft. 14 year old Pedro</p>
            </blockquote>





	That One Summer

“No, seriously! Did you see her face? _Oh my god!_ ”

“That was utterly incredible. Truly inspired.”

“We really are hilarious, you know.”

“ _Hiigh_ larious, comedy geniuses.”

“ _Ahem_ , comedy genii.”

“Comedy _genies_.”

“As you wish.”

Ben grinned, still out of breath from running.  He collapsed onto the grass and let out a laugh. This summer had been brilliant, really something else.  As he gazed up at Beatrice, who had sat down next to him, the sun moved behind her head and beams of light shone through her hair and dappled across her skin. The fruity scent of her shampoo drifted towards him on the breeze and as he began to giggle again, reality smacked him right in the face.

 “Bea... how long ‘till you leave?”

“Two weeks,” she said forlornly, “Why? You getting bored of me Hobbes?”

Ben shrugged. “I can’t keep feigning interest in your stories forever, you know. Though it is helpful practice for when my grandma visits and tells me all about ‘ _trout fishing, laddie’._ ”

Bea snorted and hoped his deflections weren’t purely out of embarrassment. That was something about Ben that she found annoying and endearing in equal measures; he had to have the last word, the last joke, the last pun or prank. Maybe, if she tried, there wouldn’t have to be a last word. But that was stupid summer talk, soon she’d be back home and he’d forget all about her. She supposed there was always next time, but it was so long away. Anything could happen in a year.

“What’cha thinkin’ about?” Ben nudged, turning onto his front and pushing himself up.

“Just, how confused that woman was.”

“Obviously not intellectual enough for our humour,” Ben said with a wink and started laughing again.

“Hmmm, yes,” Beatrice swirled an imaginary wine glass, “very much so. Indeed.”

“Oh, yes. _Ahem_.” Ben said, immediately getting on board, “The state of the global economy... er... _cheese boards_.”

They cracked up again and lay back on the grass, with the summer sun shining over them, contented in each other’s company.

There was a squeal of brakes and a bike fell down beside them. The sun was briefly blocked out as a shadow loomed over them.

“Alright guys, what’s funny?” said the shadow.

“Oh hey Pedro,” Bea greeted, sitting back on her elbows, “doesn’t matter.”

“Oh, okay.”

“You wouldn’t get it anyway,” said Ben, winking comically at Beatrice.

“Right.” muttered Pedro as he sat down.

“What’ve you been up to?” asked Beatrice. “We haven’t seen you in ages.”

Pedro shifted uncomfortably, “Oh you know, I’ve been around. I guess I could say the same of you guys.”

“We’ve been messing about in town.”

“Sure.”

“Anyway.” coughed Beatrice, “I’d better get back for dinner. I’ll see you guys tomorrow, yeah?”

“Yeah, see ya Bea,” waved Pedro.

“And watch out for budgies!” added Ben, receiving a laugh from Beatrice in response.

“Watch out for what?” asked Pedro.

“Oh... budgies... you had to be there.” Ben replied; his eyes still fixed on Beatrice.

“Of course you did.” said Pedro, rolling his eyes.

“She’s fantastic, isn’t she?”

“What? Bea? Yeah, she’s pretty cool.”

“She’s so funny, like yesterday we were up at Sand Hill and she did the most hilarious thing...”

It took twenty minutes of Beatrice anecdotes for Pedro to crack, (he was pretty impressed with his tolerance but there was only so much he could stand) his best mate going on and on about all the in-jokes he shared with his oldest friend was really getting on his nerves.

“...and she said ‘I bet you can’t remember the whole thing’ and I was like ‘yeah sure I can’ and okay so I didn’t do it _all_ but still, god it was so funny. She’s amazing.”

“God, Ben. If you love her so much, why don’t you just marry her already?”

“I don’t... what!? Oh shut up, Pedro. Why are you being so weird?”

“I’m not being weird; you’re the one who’s all Beatrice obsessed suddenly.”

“Well, she’s your friend. I thought you liked her.”

“Yeah, she’s my friend. I’ve barely seen her or you all summer! It’s like you’re trying to ditch me or something. You never said you were going up Sand Hill yesterday...”

“Oh, sorry man. We didn’t plan it, we would’ve come got you, only it sort of just happened.”

“Sure, whatever. It’s just...we’re meant to be, like, bros, you know? ”

“Yeah, I know. You’ve got other friends too though. Hero saw you at Lakeside with Adam Conway yesterday.”

“Yeah, well. That’s different isn’t it? Besides... it was a Debates meet up, we just happened to turn up early.”

“How would it be different? You’ve got other friends. I’ve got other friends.”

“Yeah, okay. I just haven’t seen you much, okay. Or Bea! I can have a laugh with you.”

“Laugh at me more like.” Muttered Ben.

“Hey, that’s not true.”

“Bet Adam Conway’s not as funny as me. Though, I guess he does just pip me on stubble by a couple of years...”

Pedro frowned, “Yeah, about that.”

“Yeah?”

Pedro opened his mouth to explain but the words didn’t seem to want to come out.

“I... er... I didn’t even stay for the whole thing. I left early. Felt sick.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, fine. It was nothing really.”

“Wow, super interesting, bro.” said Ben and lay back on the grass again.

 

Pedro sighed; he wished he could tell Ben what had happened. Not that anything had even happened. Just the honest facts without any of the analysis Pedro was tuning out. If he could just explain it to one person then maybe it would make sense and he could stop thinking about it.

They’d been sat by the water, just waiting for the others. And Adam had been going on about how good at public speaking he was, how Pedro should try for Chair next year. Then he’d turned to look at him, with a sort of half grin on his face and Pedro suddenly felt like he’d been hit over the head, or swallowed a brick or something. He was also very aware of how close they were and it made him feel dizzy.

“You okay?” Adam had asked.

“I... yeah. Sure. Uh.”

“You’ve gone really red.”

“I... I do feel a bit sick actually.”

“Oh, shit. Well don’t vom in the lake.”

Pedro remembered how the dizziness had intensified when Adam had tried to steady him with his arm, how he’d shrugged him off, made excuses and pretty much run home. It was nothing. If he told Ben he’d probably just be confused. What was the big deal anyway? Pedro didn’t really know but he couldn’t stop thinking about it and every time he did the brick settled more heavily into his stomach.

“Pedro?” Ben asked, interrupting his stream of thought. “You don’t think she likes me? Do you?”

Pedro shrugged, “How should I know?”

“Because I don’t want to lead her on; I mean she’s cool, obviously, and funny... but she’s leaving in a fortnight. And she annoys me half the time, you know and every time I’m with her I feel all... I dunno... queasy, but like, in a good way? But that doesn’t mean I like her does it?”

“Nah, mate. Doesn’t sound like it to me. You’re just mates. Anything else would just get messed up.”

“Yeah, okay. Good.”

“Sorted.”

“Sorted.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure if you can tell but this is set in the summer where Bea and Ben were friends/first met, not sure about the age characterization. I wish there was more stuff about the Bea, Ben & Pedro dynamic and how the guys seems to be insecure about their friendships but in different ways (more talented writers please do this) ((or send me head cannons or something))


End file.
